Heat trace systems are commonly used in industrial and commercial settings to maintain or raise the temperature of pipes or tanks in a piping system through the use of electrical heating elements or heat traces that are in physical contact with the pipe or tank, as the case may be. Most heat trace systems are controlled by a main control system and also include many types of sensors and control devices throughout the piping system. The main control system receives data about conditions of the heat trace system that are detected by the various sensors and control aspects of the heating system by controlling the various control devices.
While wireless sensors and control devices have gained acceptance in many industries, they have not gained much acceptance in heat trace systems because there is no suitable way to power the wireless modules. Batteries are not preferred in heat trace systems because a battery failure could result in catastrophic failure (such as when a frozen pipe bursts when a wireless sensor with a spent battery is unable to detect the decreasing temperature of the pipe). Also, running power cables to the wireless devices is expensive and defeats the purpose of having a wireless device.